Electroplating barrel



. J. T. DANIELS ELECTROPLATING BARREL Filed July 21, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheetl WI TNESSES A ITOHNEYS I Feb. 3, 1925-v 1,525,271

J. T. DANIELS ELECTROPLATING BARREL Filed July 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2III/III] I 71/01/11, lfi

WITNESSES IN l/EN TOR I cfghw TDA W I 4 ATTORNEYS Fatented Feb. 3, 1925.

JOHN T. DANIELS, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY,

ELECTROPLATING BARREL.

Application filed July 21, 1923. Serial No. 652,956.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JoHN T. DANIELS, a citiaen'of the United States, anda resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and Statecf New Jersey,have invented a new and Improved Electroplating Barrel, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

, Thisinvention relates to a new and improved construction .ofelectroplating barrel.

An objectof the invention concerns the provision ofa construction inwhich the electrical contact is maintained at all times and under allconditions of service by a combination of elements extremely .simple.

Another object concerns the provision .of a new and improved arrangementof electrodes whereby the distribution of the electrolytic currentthrough the barrel is most efliciently achieved with respect to thecontents of the barrel.

The ilnvention is illustrated in the drawings', of which- Figure 1 is aside elevation of the device 25 showing part of the barrel in section;

; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line .22

of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is asection taken on the line 3-3 of Fig.1; and

Fig. 4 is an (enlarged detail section showing the manner in which theconducting ring is mounted on the power shaft hearing casing.

The form of the invention shown in the drawings is a preferred form,although it is understood that modifications in the construction andarrangement of the parts and in the character of the materials used maybe adopted without departing from the spirit :of the invention.

The invention concerns an electroplating barrel 1, made preferably ofwood or similar material, which is adapted to contain a cylinder 2,preferably erforated and made of suitable material. 0th the barrel andthe cylinder are open at their outerends. Against the bottom of thecylinder or'drurn within the barrel 1 is disposed a metallic electrodein the form of a plate 3. This plate electrode is held by a bolt 4against the bottom of the drum, this bolt extending also through thebottom of the barrel 1 and having a nut: 5 on the outer end there: ofbetween which and the bottom of the barrelthe base 6 of a curvedcon-tact spring or shoe7 is fastened.

Around the sides of the barrel 1, and between the same and the outersurface of the drum 2, are disposed a plurality of other electrodes suchas 8. See Fig. 2

ticularly.

These electrodes are in the form of bars or slabs which are connected bybolts to trunnion plates 10. These trunnion plates are separated fromthe barrel byhoops or rings of metal such as 11. The trunnion plates areprovided with trunnion bearings 12 projecting into the .ends of ayoke-shaped rotatable frame 13.

This yoke Attached to one end of the bearing or cas ing 17, preferablyon the side adjacent the frame 13, is a fixed conducting ring '24.. Thisis connected to the casing by means of machine screws which areseparated from the conducting ring by insulated sleeves 26 (see Fig. 4).

Adapted to contact with the curved contact shoe or spring 7 .(see Fig.3) is a U- shaped rotatable conductingspring, such as 27, the base ofwhich lies flat and is fastened to an insulating plate 28 placed againstthe hub 29 of the yoke frame The limbs 30 and 31 of this U-shapedconducting spring extend inward against the inner face of the conductingring 24, which is fixed. By reason of the rotation of the hub 29, theU-shaped conducting spring 27 is rotated but, nevertheless, makescontact with the fixed ring '24. The U-shaped spring 27 contacts withthe contact shoe 7 which is in connection with the electrode areinsulated from the rest of the machine, a separate circuit isestablished to a binding post 32 (see Fig. 1) and connected to the ring24:.

A circuit from the electrodes 8 is established through the bolt 9, thetrunnion plates 10, the frame 13, the shaft 14, the casing 17 and thebinding post 33.

In order to hold the barrel in the position shown in Fig. l, I providethe barrel with a latch arm at with which a pin 35 mounted on the yokeframe adjacent the end of the arm is adapted to engage, preferably withan aperture in the arm so that during this engagement the barrel is heldfrom rotatlon around its trunnion 12. However, the barrel and the yokeframe can rotate and do, and by this rotation will work over thematerial and the electrolyte disposed therewithin so that the materialis thoroughly electroplated.

Whenever it is desired to empty the contents of the barrel the yokeframe is moved until. the trunnion bearings are in a horizontal plane,whereupon the pin 35 is removed, permitting the barrel to be oscillatedaround its bearing to the position shown in dot-and-dash line in Fig. 1,upon which the contents will be spilled out on a screen 36 disposed overthe top of the tank or container 37. The liquid or electrolyte will passthrough the screen and can be mixed in the tank or container 37 withsome agent to regenerate the electrolyte, whereas the article which hasbeen electroplated will be caught by the screen and will remain thereon,from which place it can be easily collected. The detachable relationbetween the contact shoe 7 and the spring member 27 enables the barrelto be moved and the contact to be broken very easily, but it isimmediately reestablished as soon as the barrel is moved back to thenormal position and latched by the pin 35, regardless of the rotation ofthe yoke frame, and assuring an efiicient contact is made for theelectric circuit.

Therefore, it will be easily observed that the invention achievedconcerns the simple and eflicient establishment and maintenance of theelectric circuit, the ready adjustability of the device, and thethorough and efficient manner in which the current flowing through theelectrolyte and the material being plated is established.

lVhat I claim is 1. An electroplating device which includes a tiltablebarrel mounted on trunnions, a slidable yoke frame supporting saidtrunnions, co-operatin latch means on the barrel and frame to hold thebarrel latched in a definite position while the frame is being rotated.

2. An electroplating device which includes a rotatable yoke frame, atiltable barrel mounted thereon and having an open end, a perforateddrum within said barrel having an open end, said drum spaced from theinner wall of said barrel, a plate electrode on the bottom of said drum,and a plurality of electrodes disposed around the inner walls of thebarrel between said walls and the outer walls of said drum.

3. An electroplating device which includes a rotatable yoke frame, atiltable barrel mounted thereon and having an open end, a perforateddrum within said barrel having an open end, said drum spaced from theinner wall of said barrel, a plate electrode on the bottom of said drum,a plurality of electrodes disposed around the inner walls of the barrelbetween said walls and the outer Walls of said drum, and electricalconnections from said electrodes through the yoke frame.

4. An electroplating device which in cludes a rotatable yoke frame, atiltable barrel mounted thereon and having an open end, a perforateddrum within said barrel having an open end, said drum spaced from theinner wall of said barrel, a plate electrode on the bottom of said drum,a plurality of electrodes disposed around the inner walls of the barrelbetween said walls and the outer walls of said drum, a spring contactshoe formed on the bottom of the barrel and connected to the plateelectrode on the bottom of the drum, and a contact plate on the base ofthe yoke member to make contact with said shoe when the barrelis in adefinite position with respect to the yoke member.

5. An electroplating device which includes a rotatable yoke frame, atiltable barrel mounted thereon and having an open end, a perforateddrum within said barrel having an open end, said drum spaced from theinner wall of said barrel, a plate electrode on the bottom of said drum,a plurality of electrodes disposed around the inner walls of the barrelbetween said walls-and the outer walls of said drum, a spring contactshoe formed onthe bottom of the barrel and connected to the plateelectrode on the bottom of the drum, a contact plate on the base of theyoke member to make contact with said shoe when the barrel is in adefinite position with respect to the yoke member, a power shaftconnected to said yoke member, a bearing casing embracing said shaft,and a fixed conducting ring connected to said casing, portions of said.contact plate on the yoke engaging the fixed ring on the casing duringtheir rotation, whereby the electrical circuit can be maintained.

6. An electrical device which includes a barrel having a perforated drumthereon, a plate electrode on the bottom of said drum, a curved springplate on the bottom of the barrel and connected to the plate is in adefinite position with respect to the electrode Within the drum, a yokeframe yoke, a fixed ring disposed adjacent the 1 supporting said barrelhaving a hub, an inlimbs of the U-shaped spring plate and sulating plateon said hub, a U-shaped adapted to contact therewith during the rospringplate connected to the said insulattation of the yoke to maintain theelectrical ing plate the base of said U-shaped spring circuit. plateadapted to contact with the curved spring plate on the barrel when thebarrel JOHN T. DANIELS.

